Resurface
by LittleBlackTearDrops
Summary: What if what I want makes you sad at me?


_**R**__**esur**__**f**__**ace**_

_"Naruto-kun, come on, you're such a dork," the dark haired child stood like a statue, tall and hovering like a rain cloud. His arms crossed, he grinned down at the blonde child._

_~•~_

You could search memories, picturesque oceans behind your eye. You could flip through words like the pictures of a book, then rememorize them, refresh them in your mind. But you can't recall an emotion, cannot bring it about again. It changes, like a tide that returns. Even that water is new... A new will become old with time, as an old will become new with forgetfullness. The only thing you can do is dive back down beneath the murky surface, sink about in the cool touches of a blanket of silence. Let the blurry vision clear up and dig through the bottomless core. Then at last, when you have found what you were looking for, you can resurface.

~•~

_The sun beat down lazilly, relaxing its shine into the crevices of the earth. Tipping the leaves lightly, and dripping like a taste on the air. Life rang in the air, birds, bees... "buzz" "buzz". All settling on the air, resting on tongues that breathe. Grazing hair and smiling faces, stirring up resistence in the grass, the world was alive in the mid-day of Konoha. _

_Children dressed freely and loosely tumble around through the trees, shredding the earth and flowers, not caring whether their shouts of joy were heard or not. A girl in pink sung tunes as she braided a ringlet of daises, twisting and knotting their stems together, as a young boy and his puppy ran circles around the group of children. A young boy lay not too far off, disappearing in the uncut grass, staring at the clouds as they churned on by. A larger child sat mildly beside him, munching on munchies, day-dreaming about more munchies to munch on. Older ones wandered off towards the shade of the trees. They complained, but did so fakely, really enjoying the liveliness of the moment._

_Farther off, behind the coverage of the tree, two boys resided. One standing and the other lying on his stomach in the dirt. The one standing wore blue, and had short black hair. He possessed a wicked gleam to his eyes, and rarely smiled. The one on the ground wore orange, bright and jumpy, it stood out amongst the earthry greens and reds. Tears streaked down his face, his forehead bruised a bit, and dirt patching his clothes. He attempted to wipe away the salty drops, and rubbed more dirt across his face. _

_"Stop crying. It's alright now," the one standing said ruffly. He'd stopped grinning and was sighing in either frustration or impatience, or both._

_The blonde looked up, but didn't say anything._

_"Naruto-kun, I'm leaving you now, so follow when you're ready. Besides, I'm hungry and I'm not missing out on lunch. Bye." The black haired boy tucked his hands in his pockets loosely, then turned to leave. He stepped through a thickness of bushes and soon his steps receded from Naruto's hearing. He heard each _thunk _get softer and softer until there were none at all. _

_Naruto felt more tears well up into the corners of his eyes, and hastilly pushed himself up. Brushing at the dirt he limped quickly on an aching foot after the other boy. "Sasuke-kun...! Sasuke-kun!" He whimpered, his voice growing louder with panic. "Come back! Please wait for me!" He clenched his fists and moved roughly through the woods, listening, waiting. He could almost hear the tick of the clock though none was near. Inside his heart throbbed in his head, sweat rolling down the back of his neck as the sun shone deeply. Despite the _crack_ of the twigs and the _crunch_ of the leaves, he trudged on in what felt like empty and lonely silence. He drew in a breath, "Sasuke-kun!" This time it was to himself, more so than anyone else, expecting he was alone again._

_Suddenly Sasuke came out from behind a tree, smiling widely. "You didn't really believe I'd actually left you?" _

_Naruto took one stare at Sasuke's face and burst out into tears. _

_"Ha! You should see your face! We're going to be late for lunch, and Iruka-san is going to kill you for getting your clothes dirty again. Naruto-kun, are you hurt?" Sasuke slung Naruto's arm over his shoulder, then wrapped his arm around Naruto's waist, supporting him so Naruto could hobble back. "Naruto-kun, stop crying. _It's alright now."

~•~

I'm embarrassed to say I was never stronger back then. That I ran and hid from things people would laugh at me for now. Somewhere I grew a will in me. Maybe it was those days where nothing really mattered, big time anyway. You could screw up, get in trouble, and still live to tell the tale. I would say live to tell all your friends, but I rarely had any. Those who did talk to me either called me a monster, or an idiot. As good natured as they may have seemed, being who I was made it hard each day. All I wanted was one day where everyone would forget about what I was, what was inside me.

I understood normalness was rarely breeched, and upon contact it was shyed away from. As safe as normal is, it's unitiving, and it's boring. But too weird and you're looked at strange, you're avoided and insulted. Sometimes you're hurt, and sometimes you cry. I seriously was beginning to wonder what day it would be when I wouldn't be able to take it all anymore. That was something I feared and dreaded. The only thing I could think of to do at those times would be to run off and find Iruka, Sakura, or even Sasuke. Even though Sakura yelled at me at times and called me names, I could tell she didn't mean it entirely, not like others anyway. And I guess the only reasons she yelled at me was because I did stupid things others didn't seem to apreciate so much. Iruka was the same, but he rarely yelled. As for Sasuke, he was like Sakura, but so much more different. I loved training with him, to show him how much better I was getting, how great I could be. If I could prove to him that I wasn't as much of an imbecile as I made out to be, maybe he would look at me differently.

I did try and work on that factor many times, but it wasn't who I was. It wasn't the person I grew up to be. Loneliness was a scary thing. In it, a person could do one of two things. They could learn to accept it, and it would accept them. The second choice was a person could try to break free and fight it, instead of learning to adapt. It's what humans normally did. So in the end, I don't know where or how, but something made a choice inside me. I didn't want that sad look on my face that told everyone I was suffering, that I needed to be pitied at looked after. That was too much of a hassle. I wanted to be able to walk by them and have them see and accept me as someone great. I was going to do better than they would ever know, shining out one day to be the very best.

I clambered down from the swing in the back lot of a few buildings. It was concealed by some walls, and grass filled the ground like a crowd. The swing was simple, a wood plank, and hung from a single tree. I remembered being here before so many times. It was a quiet place where not many others tended to venture. As well as the fact it was quite hidden.

I sighed and turned away from the swing when a shift in the wind caught my attention. With this small warning, I spun and was met by a blurred figure falling from the sky. Their body was black, because the sun was blinding. It was all I could see before they had me pinned to the ground on my stomach. One of my arms had been pulled back roughly, and I grimaced. "Ugh. Hey- Get off me!" I bucked up and managed to shove them off me. I sat up and saw Sasuke sitting very close. He was grinning evily, trying to cover a laugh. He leaned in close then reached up, pulling loose leaves from my hair, he smiled softly. I must have looked ridiculous, because suddenly he was laughing. His laugh was gentle, beautiful, but loud in the hidden lot. I flushed and glanced down, then tried to sound angry.

"Sasuke-kun," I growled. "Don't do that, geez. I hate it."

"Sure," was all he said. Before I noticed it he was standing again. He looked taller once again, as he stared down at me, the smile gone. I had to squint to see anything, and wondered why I couldn't be like that. Sasuke was a Uchiha, a very powerful one at that. He did amazing in school, was smart, strong, and handsome. The teachers loved him, even the girls, even though he usually was on his own. I wondered at times why he even talked to someone like me. He even only trained with me, unless it was mandatory, which this was still mystery to me as to why. All I ever did was get the adults mad at me, or mess everything up. Where as I always strived for attention, he did nothing and was presented with it like gifts. I never resented him for it, somehow I couldn't.

I brushed off my clothes, then sighed, noticing a stain on them.

"Iruka-san's going to kill you for getting your clothes dirty again."

I merely stared up at him, a bit astonished. I blinked, and my mind read through that memory in my mind. The one I remembered the most. Maybe that's where it'd all begun. First the confusion, then the hatred, and finally the acceptance. I couldn't help myself, and it wasn't like I wanted to either.

"Shut up," I growled again. "I'll clean it off later. Leave me alone!" He offered his hand to me. As much as I wanted to take it at this point, I brushed him off and pushed myself up into a standing position. I turned away from him and began to walk off. I could hear him following. "Don't you have anything better to do than stalk me? Shouldn't you be studying? Oh wait, your grades are so good you don't have to. Why don't you train? Oh wait, you're already so good at that too." I didn't know why I was being a jerk to him, but I didn't look back to see his face. It confused me, what I thought and what I said were two opposite things.

I heard his footsteps stop. I kept walking, telling myself I didn't need to make things worse at this point. Especially because I was falling in so deep. Sometimes it hurt so much I wanted to scream and hurt something. I scared myself. So the only thing I knew how to do was ignore it, attempt to keep it from my mind. If I kept it away, I could keep people safe. Safe until I was gone...

I shook my head, grumbling again, and turned my head back. Trying to square off my shoulders. My eyes widened as I looked at his face. It was small with large, liquid pool eyes that went on forever. His lips were slightly parted, and his eyebrows tilted. There was sorrow there, dripping at every corner. It was there and then it was gone. Like a mistake to the eye, and I wondered if it'd been there at all. Maybe somehow I'd seen my feelings on his face. It could happen.

I took a step forward, and being turned a bit, I stumbled.

_Sasuke, _I thought. _What if what I want makes you sad at me?_

I'd asked this question to him so many times I thought I might of reached him by now. I thought maybe he could read my mind now, and hear me asking him so many times. I knew it would be easy to just say it, but it wasn't easy for the heart. At other times I thought maybe if I asked it enough I would be able to answer it myself. Like the answer would just come to me.

I shook my head in surprise, then frowned at him, crossing my arms over my chest. "Come on, Sasuke-kun. You know Sakura-chan won't be happy if you're late for lunch." I gave him a measured look, then a sheepish smile. Just before I turned I noticed something on his face. A small flush of excitement. I didn't turn around to get a second glance. If it wasn't there when I turned back it would ruin the image. Instead I started forward. Sometime soon after, I heard footsteps following me.

Crossing the yard, I led Sasuke through the entrace I usually took. In this case, the exit. We walked in silence. I wanted to say it was a comfortable silence, a natural one that fit. But it wasn't for me. It was awkward, nipping at me, making my hair stand on end. My insides crawled, as my throat felt as though it were on fire. I half expected for my head to cave in from the awful ache that filled it, or for my heart to burst with the rapid pounding it was doing on the inside of my chest. I wondered if Sasuke could feel it thud as I could. I half expected to tip over from the impact of it hitting against me. But it never happened, I just continued on like a walking break down. My body was tight and I felt as though I were walking so stupidly, I expected Sasuke to burst out laughing and calling me an idiot like he usually did, but he didn't. I could only hear his breathing, steady and deep. Even his breathing was perfect, I thought.

We arrived to find Sakura chattering away with Iruka and Kakashi. I wondered what Iruka was doing here, since he was often off on missions or doing work for the 3rd Hokage. We neared, and by this time Sasuke had come up beside me, slightly behind.

"Iruka-san, Kakashi-sensei!" I called out in greeting, giving them a big smile. I noticed Sakura glaring at me, holding a packed lunch which made my mouth water, then noticed Sasuke. The change was instant, from glare to swoon. I was afraid for the food and offered to carry it, as she kept her eyes glued to Sasuke. He didn't seem to notice her, but instead was staring off somewhere into the sky. I noticed that a storm was coming, but not till much later tonight.

Sakura passed off the food to me and attempted to start a conversation. I was no longer paying attention anymore. Instead I turned to Iruka and Kakashi.

"...I have to get going now. See you guys."

I groaned. "Awww. Iruka-san, you're leaving already?" "Yeah, sorry Naruto-kun." He patted my head, giving me a friendly smiled which I attempted not to return. Lately I'd been hanging around him less and less, and it irritated me. He was like a father, and I guess I got irritated when I couldn't spend time with him.

"Good luck and be careful," Kakashi said.

"Bye," I called out. Iruka nodded and walked off. I turned to Kakashi questioningly. "Where's he headed too?"

"Iruka-san has to head out of town for a mission concerning some thefts that are getting worse and worse. It's kind of far away and they want to get a head start. As you can tell there's gonna be a storm tonight, and by the looks of it, it's going to be a big one. They want to reach a villiage to rest in, instead of getting caught in it on the move," he explained.

"Ohhh," I nodded. The nod was of nothing in particular, just a sign I guess of understanding. I felt myself suddenly being pulled forward. Sakura was clutching my arm and dragging me to follow her. I knew we were going to our normal outside bench. Near the Hokage's building, it sat on a well-traveled path. Sometimes it received much sunlight, at other times when the sun was positioned behind the builidng shadows found themselves covering it. I hoped today it would be warm with pools of light on us. If I wanted shade I could just go over to trees across the path. But right now I felt cold. I wanted food, warmth, and a bit of laughter. Maybe I could get Sakura ticked off at me again, have her call me the same usual names. The only thing that hurt was when she hit, that sometimes was unfun. But it was worth it, actually feeling a part of them, and not just a third wheel. Not that Sasuke returned Sakura's affection. I don't think he liked anyone like that.

When I got home the sky had considerably darkened to a sick, bluish grey. Like a stone grey. The storm I could tell was going to be horrible. The river's level was certainly going to raise up tonight, perhaps even overflow. I hoped that it didn't flood, 'cause that would cause problems and possibly harm to someone. Right now I knew I needed to get what I wanted quickly, and stay inside for the rest of the night. I'd already gotten a few bowls of ramen for dinner, and had plenty of it in the cabinet at home. My fridge was practically empty since I'd thrown out the old milk. All that remained now was a carton of eggs and a pack of butter.

I stepped into the hollowed emptiness of my room. My bed, grey and brown sat to the right of the door. It was squished against the wall opposite the door and the right wall. At the foot of the bed on the right wall was the closet door. It was brown and boring as well. To the left, against the same wall the door was on, was a long counter that ran all the way to the left wall. A series of cabinets hovered above it. On the left wall the counter turned and continued on a bit, then stopped for a stained white fridge. Over to the left and a bit in the center of the room was a small round table, and two chairs that matched the table perfectly to it's boring state. Across from the door wall, on the opposite wall in the middle was a large window. The curtains were open and let the sky light the room, instead of the ceiling light. Below that was a trunk, deep and wide, it held what little items I possessed. All and all, the room was brown, boring, and bland.

I walked over and opened a drawer below the counter, and produced a few candles and laterns. I figured the storm would be knocking out the power. It was barely night, and already it felt late at night, the way the light was sinking increasingly away. I layed the candles on the table and lit them with a match I managed to dig out after searching many drawers. After that I withdrew a board plank from the closet I keep for these times, and placed it over the window. Closing the dull curtains, I felt the room get darker, and it made me feel cut off from the rest of Konoha.

Making sure the door was locked, I shuffled out of my shoes and into my pajamas. The rain was slamming against the wall at this point, the thunder shaking the building. A war raging out there, and I was concealed here. Next I sprawled myself out on my bed, hoping that the candles would not fall off the table and set fire to everything, and hoped sleep would take me fast.

~•~

_I walked through a series of hallways, following Sasuke. The atmosphere was stale, sick, and there was a gnawing in the pit of my stomach. Like I'd done something terribly wrong, but I couldn't recall. I could only feel like burning regret like it was something physical, and not an emotional being. I thought perhaps I really was being burned and that my bedroom has caught on fire. But I wondered why I wasn't waking up if that was the case._

_I took twists and turns and followed him, it was almost endless. Then we entered a room that look like my place, except it was empty. Sasuke turned and stared at me, the sorrowful look was back in his eyes, on his face, even in his lips. But it was replaced by hatred. So quickly, so whiplashing I had no time to ponder the sorrow or sadness I saw. No time to pity or feel pained that he was feeling pain and I wasn't helping him. All there was was this blinding fury striking at me, as if it too were a physical thing._

_"Sasuke-kun..." I heard my voice say, but I couldn't remember wanting to say it. It was like something had control on my body, or more so my body had control over me. Then heatbreaking terror rang into me._

_"I hate you, Naruto-kun." _

_It stung so hard. I had to pull back, reel myself away before I was ripped to shreds with the words. Maybe I thought I could dodge them, but you can't run away from something you fear. It always finds you, always reaches you in the end. These were the words I never wanted to him to say, words I dreaded even saying myself. And now the delicate balance was broken._

_"I hate you so much."_

_I didn't understand what I'd done. How had I made him so mad he would hate me? Something must have made him say that to me, there had to be a reason. I couldn't except it blidingly. _

_"Sasuke-kun, why?"_

_"Naruto-kun, I don't want to talk to you anymore. You're digusting, you make me so sick. Just looking at you makes me feel like I'd rather die than be here. Leave, go away, get away. Nobody wants you here, nobody ever wanted you. I don't want you here and I never did. It makes me want to hurl just even having to talk to you. Your name should be burned, and so should you. I absolutely detest you."_

_And then it hit me and I understood. Maybe I wasn't the best at hiding these things, maybe I was an open book, instead of the person who could hide things well. I honestly tried to hide these things, and I thought I'd done an okay job, but this wasn't one of those matters. In this dream, it was somehow obvious, somehow visible. He knew... he knew, he knew. I could only repeat over and over again and again. He knew..._

_I tried to pull myself together. It was easier not to cry in a dream, because they're almost too real it seems fake. The emotions you feel in a dream are copies, the only time they become real is when you wake up. And even then some dreams are forgotten. The only thing I would do at this point was walk out of the room, because that seemed the easiest. Pleading, persuading were best left for people under control. Not ones on the edge of fake breakdowns. And this was a dream, I really had no control anymore. Like a driver at the wheel, but the car's on a track. You don't have a choice on where to go, if the track goes left you're going left. And I couldn't get out either, for some reason I was strapped in. So I walked out of the room. And something deep inside me wished he'd come after me. Apparently I hadn't been crushed all the way, because I still hoped. But once again I had to remind myself this was all a dream, and that I was never going to be that strong in real life. _

_~•~_

Sweat drenched my back. My body felt on fire, like my temperature was way higher than it should have been. My body didn't want to move at the moment. I could only stay still, sprawled across tangled sheets, and breathing heavily like I was afraid I wasn't going to get enough air. I reminded myself to slow down on the breathing and stop taking in so much air of I was going to hyperventilate and that wouldn't be good. I considered staying there, sleeping in. But then I remembered having a horrible dream, one that twisted knots in my stomach and in my throat. I couldn't remember what the dream was about, only that it was something I didn't want to bring about again.

After wandering down to the public bath house, and cleaning myself of sweat, I headed towards where Kakashi had told us to meet. Today we were supposedly taking a break and going on small D-ranked missions. Things were pretty anti-chaotic around, and so our missions were back to cats in trees. I thought it pretty much stunk. I mean, doing these kind of things would not help me get better, nor impress anyone.

I'd tried to stomach breakfast, but apparently the dream had been more terrifying than I'd thought. I'd lost my apetitite, and the fresh, cool air felt soothing. I figured if I got hungry I'd always have Sakura's shared lunch or the ramen shop to fill my stomach. My hands were up behind my head, the fingers intertwining. I rested my head against the palms of my head and stared up to the sky. I'd seen Shikamaru lie in the grass and do the same, except he never moved, and it was for hours. I wondered how a guy like him could do so little, put so little effort into things, and still be so smart. It once again reminded me of Sasuke. But the thought of him only drew me further inside myself, wondering what was going on. I figured it had to do with last night's dream, so I left it to that. If I didn't remember it then I wasn't going to press for answers. I needed something to keep it far from my mind, a distraction. And I was good at distractions. All I needed to do was cause mischeif, having Sakura call me an idiot, maybe whack me upside the head, then I wouldn't have to worry about avoidance, I would have forgotten by then.

I heard steps and turned to find Kakashi catching up to me, and I gave him an idiotic smile.

"Kakashi-sensei! What are we doing today?" I matched my pace with his and we kept walking.

"Well, the dam is breaking considerably, so we need to get over there. Water's flooding everywhere, and the current's really strong, so it's very hard to pass, even over the bridge. We're not going to be helping with the dam, but we are going to be clearing off the bridge and help with safer passage.

"Sorry it's such a boring job, but I figured it was something different than rescuing cats from trees. Which there are plenty of those jobs, if you want to do them instead," Kakashi explained.

"Awww, man! Such boring jobs! I guess I'll stick with working on the bridge." I continued to mumble nonsense until we met up with Sakura and Sasuke. I lowered my arms as Sasuke motioned to us and said something to Sakura. His hands were in his pockets and it looked like he'd had better nights of sleep. Sakura looked fine, pink and bubbly, she was alive and already set like a hound dog on me. I could see she wanted to yell at me for being late, but with Kakashi there she didn't.

I stood back a bit as Kakashi informed them of what we were going to be doing. Taking in the fallen branches, the scattered debris, I saw how much damage had been done. We were in a park of some sorts. Benches sat amongst the trees, and there were many clear spaces. I watched some kids run around, and slip in the muddy mess of the grass. I saw their parents scolding them for getting their clothes dirty, but smiling at the same time. A few children ran back to their parents when they called, like puppy dogs. Hand and hand, some would walk off, some wandered around without a destination. So small, these children would have to start school and training soon, but for then they were free. No cares, no competition to be the best. I knew they didn't know this, and maybe that was what made them seem to innocent. In the end, when teams were chosen, who would be friends and who would be enemies? Who would die, or get hurt, and who would prevail amongst them? It was scary thinking about it, so I stopped.

I noticed Kakashi and Sakura had already started, Sasuke trailing behind them. He stopped and glanced back at me, then grinned and turned back. I watched his back, his shoulders slumped forward, and wondered why I felt so lonely. Just standing there, watching him walk away made my heart ache. I glanced back at the children, then at the parents, knowing there was some longing in my eyes. Longing for something I didn't have. Then I took off after them, grinning like a big, fake idiot.

We reached the river a considerably short time and distance later, breeching the edges of the chaotic water. It churned and tore at the bank. I was mesmerized by it, as so were many others. Kakashi was talking with some older ninja, and Sakura and Sasuke stood beside me, staring as well.

I wondered where all the fish had gone. If they'd burrowed into the plants, or actually kept up with the current. To me it just looked like a raging hurricane, that, if swimming in it, you'd actually be getting hurled through the water and fierce speeds. I didn't actually intend to find out. If I tried going in to the river that would probably be the last of me. Dragged out and drowned, or hurled into a rock headfirst. All these thoughts were unpleasant, so I tried focusing on other things. Such as the stray items that had been washed up onto the land. Trinkets and miscellaneous objects scattered up the river further than I could see. I wasn't able to observe them any closer, because Kakashi was now calling for us to follow him over to the bridge.

The bridge was wide enough for a cart's passage, solid and wooden, it's deep brown planks stretched over the river. I noticed the railings could have been a little bit more safer than they presently were now. They gaps in them were large enough for children to slip through with a false step and into the river's clutches. There were no children around at this point though. Only Sakura, Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji. They were across the river working on picking up the ground. I groaned inwardly if we were stuck doing the same as them. Shikamaru, as if reading my mind glanced up at that moment and caught my eye. We stared at each other for a moment, then both broke away as if we understood none of us wanting to be doing this but we had to.

I turned to see Sasuke staring at me, like he was trying to figure out a puzzle and just didn't have enough pieces. I flushed and stared at the ground, then jogged to catch up with them.

We worked long and, I wouldn't say hard, but we were certainly focused. Checking on the bridge and frame work, we made sure all bolts and nails were still in place, and that nothing was loose. We checked the planks for any cracks or breaks so the bridge would not cave. During this time some carts coming in and out proceeded across the bridge. During that time there was complete focus, all in case the bridge broke. I could see the fear and irritation in people's eyes as they passed. The doubt that this bridge was safe enough to pass over. And some sneered at the fact so many ninja were there to keep watch over it. These people were from other lands, I was sure, and probably thought their own bridges were much more capable than ours. Then there were some who smiled so nicely at us and thanked us for doing such a fine or good job. These people calmed my irritation from the ruder one's remarks.

By the time lunch came about I was ravenous, my stomach growling like a wild bear. I was hopeful that the river's noise would drown out my stomach. Every time it growled I flushed an even deeper red, especially when people around stopped to stare at me. The best I could do was wave them off and continue working.

Lunch was beautiful. I believed Sakura had outdone herself. We sat off by a series of trees. There were no benches, so we gathered some dry planks of wood and seated oursevles on those, over underneath a tree. I quickly attacked the rice balls, savoring their delicious taste in my mouth.

"Thanks, Sakura-chan! This food is amazing!" I told her, joyfully stuffing another bite of rice in my mouth.

Sakura twitched, grimacing, and whacked me upside the head. I cried out, clutching at my head, and swallowed. "Hey!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Naruto-kun! It's disgusting, gross. Get some manners," she scolded.

I grinned sheepishly and chuckled. "Heh, sorry."

I felt better than I had this morning. My appetite back and the quesy feeling long gone, like a distant memory that didn't matter anymore. The only thing bothering me was a growing headache. I'd noticed it when we'd sat down to eat, and even more so when Sakura had whacked me on the head. I ignored it and focused on finishing. I didn't want Sakura to whack me on the head again, because that would only make it worse.

"Sasuke-kun," she chattered happily, "I'll be back in a bit. Don't miss me, kay?"

Sasuke merely nodded in response.

I set down my chopsticks and cupped my head in my hand, sighing and wishing I had a bowl of ramen at this moment. Sasuke looked over at me, and grimaced. He leaned over and his finger tips brushed the bags beneath my eyes. I drew back in surprise, and his fingers receded back.

"You didn't get a good night sleep, either?"

"No," I murmered.

"You were really hungry today too."

"Yeah, I didn't eat breakfast." I didn't know where to look, so I cast my eyes down to my hands.

"Why not?"

I wondered why he was asking, why he was bothering me with these questions. The headache was getting annoyingly stronger, and I wanted to be alone, to tell him to leave. I wanted to just lie down and sleep. It was the worst I'd felt all year.

"It doesn't matter," I snapped at him. "I just didn't, okay?" I stood up and stalked off, feeling crummy physically and mentally. There I was again, saying things to him I didn't mean. Being harsh and cruel, when that wasn't the way I felt at all.

The sun was sinking but it was still far off from night. We'd finished up, closing off the bridge, because no other carts were due in or out. People were sent off to home, and Sakura had gratefully dragged Sasuke off to come hang with her. I thought about heading off the the swing, but instead stayed by the river. I bided my time by watching the water, careful not get too close. Everything flowed by so smoothly, like it'd been practicing this all it's life. And it was a show, a play of water in front of my eyes as I watched. I saw things I would never see again pass my eye and disappear down the way.

It was about an hour or two later when I noticed a carriage coming up the road towards bridge, which surprised me, because we'd already sealed off the gate, and we weren't due to have any more people coming in.

I was instantly on guard, standing up and watching it inch towards the bridge. It seemed like a snail, sludging instead of on wheels. It's creaking body dulled by the rushing water. I hesitated, then started towards it. Aware that every hair on my body stood on end, but knowing I had to find out who it was before they got further into the villiage.

"Hey," I called, neither in friendly greeting, nor in cold tone. More so to get their attention. I walked up beside the door. The person sitting up front wore a cloak, and he stood board still. I tried to catch a glance of his face, but only got the tufts of a beard. The rest was hidden in shadow of the hood. Seeing as he neither spoke, nor acknowledged me, I rapped lightly on the door.

I stepped back as it lightly opened. Two more cloaked figures sat inside, facing opposite of each other. They didn't talk either, and looked a bit like the man driving. I gathered what voice I could and gruffly said, "Who are you?" There was no response.

Something felt out of place, but I couldn't place my finger on it. In instinct I reached out and tapped one of the passengers, and their body fell over. It was dummy. Suddenly everything clicked. There was only one sense of chakra present, and it wasn't in the carriage, it was right behind me. I whirled, too late, and felt a foot slam into my chest. "Ooof!" the air swooshed out of my lungs quickly, and I gasped in wheezing, constricted breaths. Trying to get oxygen back into my system. I stood still, and went to strike when a fist connected with my chin, and high chuckle was murmered from my attacker. I felt my head collide with the railing and pain rung in it. I didn't have time to worry about the ache now, I quickly stepped to the side and brought up my hands in defense against the attacker's next blow.

"Who am I?" I heard them say, then I looked up and saw them. They stood on the railing opposite mine. Their body was long and twig looking, with bony features. A dark green cape swirled about their back, and they held a pose that made me want to laugh. Their face held pointed features, a chin I swear could stab someone, and very squinted eyes. A small mustache sat there, and the dark color of it matched the color of their long, sweeping hair. "I am Isamu! Courageous, a warrior! I am the theif of many villiages, and now I am here to make my mark on Konoha! And, I am the last person you will ever meet!"

With that he swung forward and flipped off, somersaulting through the air. I dodged, and began gathering my chakara. "Bunshin no Jutsu!" I yelled, and saw many of me flooding the bridge. I was amazed it could hold this weight, especially with the carriage on it as well.

We charged at him, fists swinging, and feet flying. I held back, but kept to the middle. I held back a clone and focused on my chakra. A blue orb began forming in my hand as I slid behind the carriage. I could hear the poof of the clones as they disappeared. He was better than he'd looked.

"Boy, you're going to have to do better than that to defeat me," I heard him sneer.

I clambered up with my clone and we shot up into the air. "I know that!" I called down, then tucked and dropped. "RESENGAN!" I cried, and brang my hand forward to slam it against him. It connected with his chest, and the blow forced us in opposite directions. Him tumbling back arcoss the bridge, me sliding backwards on both feet. I let my last clone go and walked over to his still body, staring down at him. "So much for that," I said, then went to step back when his arm shot out and grabbed my leg. I was flipped onto my back, and struggled to get up. He was on me in seconds, pinning me down, and slamming his fist into my face. I felt my lip split. _Blam._ Another blow connected, and I was reminded of my headache. I growled, my eyesight growing blurry. "Get off me!" I tried to shove him off, but he somehow managed to pull from my grasp. _Crack._ My nose kareened with pain, and I couldn't feel anything anymore. I lay still, then felt him get off. Through bluriness I saw him grab my legs, then swing me off the edge of the bridge.

The water was cool and soothing as I hit. As rushing and chaotic as it was, I felt I moved in a pathway. I thought about the fish as I sank, being dragged along with the currents. It didn't occur to me till too late that I should have been struggling to live, to swim back up for air. Already my body was tired, my face probably a wreck. The silence of the water was relaxing, calming as it filled my lungs, my ears. Even the burn for air was numbed, and I struggled to remember a time I'd ever felt this peaceful. It was strange, though, that my mind and body both wanted to stay under here. But someone else inside was itching to live. Telling me to get going, that I could still make it. Maybe hope was a person inside, or maybe my self-conscious finally decided to contact me. It was already too late, didn't it know that? I knew it very well, but all the same I thought I'd give it a try. Except now that my mind wanted to live, my body had died.

I remembered Sakura, the lunches I wouldn't be able to eat again. I wondered would she even remember who I was, or was Sasuke all she needed? And Kakashi, he would remember me, but would I just be replaced by another student? The team needed three people. And I guess if that person was good to Sasuke and Sakura I wouldn't mind so much. I thought about Iruka, who I had at least gotten to say goodbye to before he'd departed. I hoped he was okay. Although, thinking on it, Isamu was the theif that had been attacking the other places, so if he was here, Iruka was good. I thought about the 3rd Hokage, his son, all the people I hadn't gotten to say goodbye to. And then I thought of Sasuke, whom I'd been jerk too. The regret burned more than my lungs at this point, and I wished I could have apologized to him before this had happened. I wished I could have told him how I felt, and I would have started crying had I remembered how. It felt like I was loosing control as I slipped away to death. It amazed me I wasn't uncounscious yet, how long had it been since I'd gone under?

Suddenly there was another presence, firm and strong, they wrapped their arms around me. Their tug and kick at the water brought us up further and further. I just felt like a deadweight, limp and weak. I let my body just float around, it was too tired to do anything at this point. The pressure was releasing from my head and ears, and I could now feel the current again. Pushing against me, I felt the person struggle roughly against it. I silently cheered them on, feeling I was loosing sanity. Maybe there was no one there, maybe I was just imagining it all. They gave a final kick, a hasty one like they were in a hurry, whoever they were, and then we resurfaced.

Air hit water in my lungs and for I moment I felt it didn't know what to do, then the chocking began. I hacked, my body heaving, and the person clutched me tighter. They fought against the current, and I was amazed at how they were managing to do that, especially while dragging me along.

They reached the shore, I felt when I was pulled across solid ground. I was still coughing, still choking. Burning water sprung from my lungs, the air seeming to push it out. Water leaked from my mouth, disgusting and thick. My stomach felt in pieces, and I definitely was gonna hurl after all this water was gone. I hoped the figure was out of the way when that happened. It wouldn't be so good to vomit on my savoir. It cleared it slowly, and I felt if I kept hacking up water and air I wouldn't be able to take any in and I would die from suffacation.

The water was out, and surprisingly enough, I did not puke. Instead all the energy dropped out of my like a dead weight, and from my hands and knees I flipped over onto my back. My eyes were closed, my body just taking air in and out. There was nothing more sweet or wanted than the air in my lungs. I took deeper and longer breaths, feeling I was not getting enough. Hands were stroking my face, and I felt my head being propped up.

"Naruto-kun, Naruto-kun," their voice sounded panicked, which worried me. I was alright, wasn't I? Did they not hear me breathing, did they want me to speak?

I groaned in response, hoping they would take that in answer.

"Naruto-kun, get up please."

I knew that voice, but it was taking me a while to register. Or more so, it was taking me a while to grasp that it was Sasuke. An after effect of drowning sent a racking cough that shot me up into sitting position. Sasuke patted my back, "Naruto-kun!" He still sounded worried. Tears from coughing so hard escaped my eyes, and I was drenched from head to toe. I looked at Sasuke and rubbed at my eyes. His eyes were wide, his body drenched like mine. He looked so full of relief I could only stare. Suddenly his arms around me, enfolding me in an unexpected warmth. They were strong and firm, and held me close. I gasped slightly, then hugged him back, trying not to cry again. We stayed like that for a while, and then voices came. We pulled away as figures showed up. I noticed them as men from earlier, who were working by the river or on the bridge. No one really noticed us. Kakashi stopped by and put blankets on our backs and hot mugs in our hands. I shivered as he went back.

I looked over at Sasuke. "What about Isamu?" I asked. He looked over at me, questioningly. "The theif," I clarified, realizing he must have not told Sasuke his name. Then winced in pain at the split lip I had, and the broken nose. I knew I wasn't going to look pretty in the morning.

"Oh," Sasuke's voice was cold, "him. I knocked him out then dove in after you." He looked like he was trying to control his anger. "I saw him attack you, and when he threw you in the water... I got so angry." Sasuke looked at me, and there was something in his eyes. "I've never been that angry before, Naruto-kun. I wanted to kill him," he admitted painfully. His eyes scanned over my injuries, and his grimace grew deeper.

"Sasuke-kun..." I knew what I wanted to say, but it seemed I had no words.

He shook his head, cutting me off. Then he leaned over and gently pressed his lips against mine, softly then more fully. It lasted only seconds, and then he pulled away. I had no clue what to say, and apparently I wasn't given the chance, because he began talking again. "I've... I've also never been so scared in my life. Only you could make me so panicked. I thought I was going to lose you, Naruto-kun. You looked so dead in the water, and I thought I was already too late. I don't want that to ever happen again. I want you to be with me, I need you."

"Okay..." it was all I could say, and it sounded so stupid, so out of place. I didn't think I'd ever been more of an idiot than in that moment.

Over by the bridge, Kakashi and other ninja were escorting a now awakened Isamu in chains. I felt good that he would be put in jail and wouldn't be able to steal from any villiages, or hurt anyone anymore. Part of me wanted to walk over and punch him in the face, but I didn't. I stayed where I was, silently watching them walk down the path. Then I heard a shuffle as Sasuke stood up, brushing himself off. I looked up at him, as he offered me his hand. I took it this time, it's dry warmth clutching the icy coldness of mine. He pulled me up and I expected him to let go, but he held onto it. He lead me off through the trees, back towards the main city, all the while keeping a hold of my hand. I watched his back as I trailed after him. One hand was in his pocket, one holding mine, and I didn't feel so left behind anymore. "Thank you..." I muttered. I knew there was a smile on his face, even if he didn't turn around. Instead I followed, thinking it was about time for me to come out of hiding, to resurface.

_The End_


End file.
